X-Message-Number: 18530
From: "Tim Freeman" <>
Date: Sat,  9 Feb 2002 11:50:51 -0700
Subject: Stay Awake Pill/circadian cycle
References:  <>

>Could a drug ever replace a good cup of coffee to keep us alert after
>a bad night's sleep?



>http://webcenter.health.webmd.netscape.com/content/article/1836.50502?DEST=WebMD&contentSRC=nsmain

Coffee can't keep you going for a few days.  According to reports,
modafinil can, and unlike amphetamines, on modafinil people can
continue to function nearly normally during that time.  I read
somewhere that it doesn't prevent the deteoriation to the immune
system that happens from staying up too long, though.

I haven't tried it.

>Hmph, I need a stay asleep pill, or rather a sleep by night awake by day
>pill. Anyone have advise on changing ones circadian cycle?

Blind people have the same problem, since they don't see the daylight
and seeing daylight is what keeps most people's sleep habits stable.

I heard from one person in this situation that their life became much
more bearable when they discovered that melatonin can be used to
control their circadian rhythyms.  I don't know the details, but I
suppose you just take it when you intend to go to sleep and you'll
probably feel sleepy at about the same time the next day.

I've tried melatonin, and in my experience it gives me about four
hours of sleep, then I wake up.  The aforementioned immune system
deterioration seemed to happen to me in this case because I got an
unusually unpleasant respiratory infection after taking advantage of
this phenomenon a few days consecutively.  

-- 
Tim Freeman       
; formerly 

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